Ritual Journeys to Caves during the Greek Neolithic: an Integrated Perspective of Rituals, Voyaging and Caves

This article explores the role of travel in the formation of cave cults during the Neolithic period in the Aegean. It examines how movement to ritual caves influenced cult practices, considering factors such as geography, accessibility, and cultural exchange. While most Neolithic cave cults functioned as local ceremonial sites, long-distance pilgrimage was rare before the Bronze Age in the Aegean. Two case studies illustrate this dynamic: the Alepotrypa Cave in Laconia, which served as a center for ancestral and offering rituals, and the Cyclops Cave in the northern Aegean, where maritime travel played a role in its ritual use. The findings suggest that Neolithic cave cults were largely local due to strong social ties within farming communities, with interregional cults emerging later as urbanization and social hierarchies developed in the Aegean Bronze Age.